One Little Bit

K-Morgan

Before returning to Scotland , Addy called Sandy and some more renovations were made in the cottage. Addy was resolved to give Karen peace of mind. She surprised Karen with the project. She had Sandy oversee the installation of storm shutters on all the windows of the cottage. The shutters would come up or down at the push of a button. It added extra security because they were connected to the security system.

She also installed a gate to the road that led to the Manor and cottage. Until now there had been a four feet stone fence separating the property from the road, but there were no gates at the entrance. Now, in order to enter the estate, a driver had to press a button and identify himself. Access could only be allowed from the cottage. There was a closed circuit camera system installed to monitor the entrance and driveway and that way anyone coming or going would be captured on the DVR. The property was huge and there was no possible way to fence it off. At least, the gates prevented unauthorized vehicles from entering the driveway or getting onto the property easily. The driveway allowed access to the Manor house first and the further down the road to the cottage.

Once inside the property, the cottage was protected by an alarm system, which had motion detectors surrounding the cottage. Once the alarm was set, if an intruder approached, the alarm would sound and lights would go on all around the perimeter of the cottage. Everything was controlled from either the upstairs or downstairs. On the day they arrived home, they went through a demo and Karen was delighted.

“Thanks, baby. This was a great idea. It gives me peace of mind.”

“I know, sweetie. I know. It's actually a lot better than I expected. I think we should keep it on all the time when we are here, not just at night. The shutters we can do at night.” The shutters allowed for air and light to filter so even if they were down, it was still clear and fresh on cool nights when they didn't want to run the air conditioner.

A few weeks after they were home, the women had an open house at the Manor house to express their gratitude to all the people who signed the petition submitted to the judge, and in general to all who so altruistically had taken their side in the custody trial. Absolutely everyone came. The women were eternally thankful for the show of support and for the community spirit shown.

**

By this time, Alex was already two years old and as beautiful, vivacious and smart as ever. By now, she had developed an extensive vocabulary. To the women this seemed normal, but friends and acquaintances marveled at how well Alex spoke at such an early age. As they settled at home with Alex, and life went back to normal.

**

One Saturday morning, Alex walked into their room and got into their bed. Karen was sleeping, and Addy had just gotten up and was in the bathroom, and no one saw Alex slip into the bed. When Alex got under the covers, she noticed that Karen was nude. “Mommy Karen naked?”

Karen was startled when she heard the sweet tiny voice. “Oh! God! Alex, what are you doing here, baby?”

Alex was very expressive with her face when she spoke. A trait she picked up from Addy. She sat on the bed, and opened her huge eyes, and with her hands palms up in front of her as if demonstrating the obvious, she spoke. “Awex want Mommy.”

“What's going on here?” Addy was coming out of the bathroom. A few minutes earlier she had walked into the bathroom nude, but hearing Alex in the room, she put on the robe she kept in the bathroom and brought Karen's along with her and casually let it drop on the bed. They had not given up their habit of sleeping nude. They knew that with the arrival of the baby some modifications would need to be made at some point in time, but while Alex was a baby things had remained the same. When Alex began to walk they talked about modifying certain things, but wearing clothes to bed was something Karen refused to do because, among many other excuses, she claimed that clothes restricted her movements. This was true, but she most of all she enjoyed the intimacy they had built up over the years of sleeping in the nude.

“She woke up and wanted to be with us!” A very panicky looking Karen explained.

“It looks like she's found us!” Addy couldn't help smile in an ‘I told you so' mode. Karen smirked. “Come here, little girl! Now that you've found us, what do you want to do? Do you want to go help me make pancakes while Mommy Karen gets up?” Addy was trying to get Alex's mind on something else so that she would forget Karen's awkward situation.

“Yes! Panquakes. Awex help.”

Karen kept looking at Addy, hoping that the ‘naked' question would soon be forgotten. Karen had the comforter up her chest covering herself. Addy couldn't help smile at the situation. She had told Karen many times that they would soon need to start wearing at least a long t-shirt to bed because something like what had just happened could happen. Karen looked pathetic caught in her own game.

“Okay, let's go make those pancakes.”

“Kay, M'Addy.”

Alex begun calling her M'Addy, and Addy loved it. It happened because when they were teaching her how to say their names, Alex would repeat “Mamamama” endlessly and would never get to the Addy part, so Addy emphasized that part, but the most significant parts were the many ‘Ms” in the “Mamamama” and the ‘ddy' so when Alex put that together was “Mamamama…..ddy” which eventually came to M'Addy.

Karen didn't like it. “I don't think it's right. I think she should call you Mommy Addy.” Karen insisted. “Ker, I don't mind. This is her very own way to call me and I like it. I think it's original and very cute.” Karen always corrected her, but there was no way. Apparently, for Alex, M'Addy was a lot easier to say. Addy was sure that if Alex could find a way to shorten ‘Mommy Karen,' she would. She couldn't, but she figured a way around it. With the years Karen became ‘Mom' and Addy always remained ‘M'Addy.' Addy would then kid her. “At least I have an original name, you however have become, plain, good, old Mom!” However, Alex knew that Karen preferred that she called Addy ‘Mommy Addy' and she always did in her conversations with her Mom.

Addy put Alex down on the floor and the little one held her hand and followed her out of the room and downstairs. Alex was already too heavy to be carried around for a long time ant especially going downstairs. As they were leaving the bedroom, Alex resumed her questioning. “M'Addy, why iz Mommy Karen naked?”

Karen rolled her eyes as she dropped back on the bed. Oh God! This kid doesn't give up! She's just like Addy!

She remained attentive to see if she could hear Addy's reply. She loved how Addy always came up with the most ridiculous answers and Alex always believed them without any further questioning. She was hoping that Addy would be able to tackle this one also.

“Well, Alex, last night Mommy Karen was complaining about being too hot. Maybe she took off her clothes to be cooler.”

“Were you hot too?”

“Just a little, Alex.”

“You zlept naked?”

“No, I didn't, but maybe I would have if I had felt warmer, so don't be surprised if you ever find me also without my jammies!” I need to cover myself, just in case! “So, would you like some juice while we get ready to make the pancakes?” Addy wanted to change the subject desperately now.

“Yep!”

“Let's see what cartoons we can find on TV….Aah! look! Sesame Street ….yeiiiii!”

Karen came down. Addy looked at her smiling and raising her eyebrows. Karen came around her, slapped her in the butt and kissed her, keeping her hand in the gluteus area that she always found so appealing.

“Saved by the bell, huh?”

“I freaked!” She whispered.

“I know. You had a panicky look.”

Karen smirked and Addy continued with her ‘I told you so' grin.

They day passed without any further comment about the incident and the women thought and hoped that the matter was forgotten as it tends to happen with most little kids. Nevertheless, that night in bed, the women talked about it. “Ker, what do you propose doing so that we won't have a repeat of this morning?”

“If you are indirectly telling me to put on pajamas or a t-shirt or something, forget it!”

Addy smiled. “Ker, you sound like a child, do you hear yourself?”

Silence from Karen. “What about you? Are you going to dress up again?”

Addy pursed her lips. “I don't want to Ker, but we need to do something.” Addy seemed troubled.

“Addy, I like the way we sleep. I like to feel you and to get close to you. It feels good. I feel connected to you when I do. I like to put my hands on your butt and…I like to rub myself against you and feel the warmth of your body against mine and when you put your leg between mine I love to feel your ……”

Addy put her hand over Karen's mouth. “Ker! Stop! You've got me going now. You are not the only one who likes to feel skin and craves to be touched!”

“So, I got you going now? Craving to be touched, Ms. Addy?”

“As if you didn't know!” Addy smirked.

“Like this?”

“Umm, yes! Just like that!”

“Lay back and relax my lady, let me show you the conveniences of our nakedness!”

“Ummm, I never said it was inconve….Oh God!”

After they finished making love, it was Karen who lay down the rule. “No way, baby, I like it like this and so do you. We'll lock the door. We'll teach her to knock and wait.”

Addy looked at her with a worried face.

Karen was serious. “I draw the line. I'm not giving up our intimacy.”

Addy knew she was right and said nothing more.

**

Since that happening, Karen talked to Alex about knocking on the door if the door was closed.

Alex crossed her arms in front of her and pouted. “Why?” She was incredibly cute in her ‘I'm mad' pose.

“Because it's the right thing to do. When people see a closed door they knock and ask if they can come in. People don't just walk into other people's rooms without permission. People don't want just anyone coming in at any time. Nice, polite people knock on the door and wait until they are allowed to come in.” Karen carefully and repeatedly explained.

Alex scrounged her little nose in disgust.

“But it'z… Awex!” Alex was exasperated not being able to understand why she, the princess of the house would not be allowed into her moms' room, why would the door be closed, and much less why would she have to knock and wait to be allowed in.

“Yes, you are not just anyone, but it doesn't matter. When we want to enter a room and the door is closed, we always first knock and wait until we are allowed in the room.” Karen was again repeating the drill and being very patient with the exasperated little one.

Then as if it was the brightest idea in the world that had not occurred to anyone, Alex said, waving her little hands palms up in front of her, again as if trying to explain the obvious. “Then don't close the door, and Awex don't need to knock!”

Karen was already losing it. “Alex, if you see the door close. You stop and knock.”

“But…..Awex don't want to!”

“Well, Alex has to!”

“Why?”

“Because mommy says so!”

At a certain point, Addy intervened taking Alex away. Looking back, she saw Karen blowing a sigh of relief and rolling her eyes as she walked away to the living room.

“And she's only two! I don't know what the future holds for us with this one!”

The knocking, however, was not happening. Alex continued to show up unannounced and she once again found them in the same situation. Finally they opted for locking the door. Whenever Alex showed up and tried to come in and the door was locked, Addy would say that the knob was broken and that they had forgotten to fix it.

About two weeks later, Alex attempted to come into the room. The door was locked and the women scrambled for their robes. Karen was in bed as Addy opened the door. Outside was Alex, buck naked.

Addy grinned. “Little girl, where are your jammies? What are you doing with no clothes on?”

“I waz hot, zo I zleep naked like Mommy Karen.” Addy bit her lip, and made an about face and turned to hide her face, then turned to look at a petrified Karen. Alex was climbing on the bed. Addy had never seen Karen's green eyes so widely opened, obviously trying to get some response from Addy as to what to say, what to do! Addy grinned to the point that her face was hurting.

“Umm, I think I'm going downstairs to make some coffee, baby. I'm going to let you deal with this one since the two of you seem to be the ones having temperature problems!”

“Why? I waz hot like you.” She pouted and frowned. She looked adorable.

Oh God!

Karen didn't have a clue as to what to say. “What if there's a fire and we have to run out?” Alex opened her eyes big as if in horror. Addy was downstairs, but she could hear the conversation. She rolled her eyes and nodded. Karen then worried that she might alarm Alex with fears of a fire. Oh God! How can I fix this?

“A fire?! No!” She wrapped her arms around Karen's neck

“No, baby, there's not going to be a fire.” Then Karen took the opportunity to discuss the safety procedures of what to do if there was a fire. Addy kept laughing downstairs. That woman and her safety issues are going to damage that child for life!

Alex lay in bed with Karen, cuddling to her and listening to the fire escape plan instructions attentively. “I think we are going to practice a fire drill soon, so that we all know what to do in case of a fire. And by the way, as you can see, I'm wearing my jammies.” She pointed to her shirt. “Also, if I were not wearing any jammies because I was hot, since I sleep with Mommy Addy, if she saw me with no clothes on, she would remind me to put something on, right? But you….you are over there sleeping by yourself and we already agreed that if there is a fire we need to go out and meet in front of the house, right?”

Downstairs Addy could already see another problem coming. If Karen continued with this line of conversation, soon Alex would be frightened and might want to sleep with them!! Oh Dear! This is going from bad to worse!

Alex was very expressive. She learned this from Addy, who was exactly the same way. She opened her huge eyes and replied. “You can brink my jammiez!”

“How would I know that on that particular night you were hot and took off your jammies?”

Alex was thinking. “But I like it like thiz!”

Karen smiled, understanding her daughter perfectly and almost wanting to say ‘alright go sleep naked.' But she had to say the right thing. “Yes, Alex, but it's not right for a little girl to sleep naked!” Only for big girls! “And besides you have very comfy jammies, or is it that your jammies are uncomfortable?”

“Yez, they are tight. I can't move like this.” She stretched her arm, as if to show that a sleeve would restrain her movement. Karen sadly, understood her. “I like it like this better.”

“Well, in that case, we are going to have to get you bigger pajamas.”

Addy decided to interrupt the situation upstairs.

“Alex!” She called from downstairs.

Alex came downstairs buck naked.

“Little girl, what are you doing naked?” Addy sounded stern now. “You go immediately upstairs and put on your jammies. Little girls don't go around naked. We are going to have a long talk later.” Alex didn't like it when Addy got mad. She adored her mom and loved to see her happy. She didn't like to make her mad, it seldom happened but Alex worried when it did. Alex ran up and got dressed. Then she came back down in her pajamas and sat down to watch her cartoons. She kept looking at Addy out of the corner of her eye. Addy saw her, but pretended not to see her. She liked to maintain the parent-child relationship even though the two were always playing.

A few minutes later Alex came to the kitchen. She looked somber. “M'Addy……. do you ztill lwove me?”

Addy chuckled and picked her up and sat her on the kitchen island, planting a humongous kiss on her cheek. “Little Bit, I adore you. What would ever make you think that I didn't love you?” She gave her another kiss as Alex, who was all smiles now, wrapped her arms around her neck.

“You were mad.”

“I was mad because little girls don't go around naked, but that has nothing to do with me not loving you! I want you to remember what I'm going to tell you now forever. Can you do that?”

Alex nodded in the affirmative, still sitting on the kitchen island between Addy's arms. “I love you and I will always love you, even when I'm mad at you. Will you remember that?”

Alex smiled and nodded again wrapping her little arms around Addy's neck, and kissing her.

“Ummm! I love your kisses!”

At that very moment Karen was coming down and caught the pair hugging and kissing. Karen smiled going straight for the coffee pot.

Addy picked her up and placed her down. “Now go on and watch your cartoons while I make your pancakes.” Alex ran happily towards the TV. The world was fixed again for the little one.

Addy turned to talk to Karen. “All the trouble you get us into woman!” Karen was smiling.

“Hush, make your pancakes, love slave. Admit it, you love me naked.” She whispered the last part of her sentence on Addy's ear, and again patted her butt in the usual manner. Addy could do nothing, but smile.

**

A few days later, in the afternoon, they heard a noise upstairs and not knowing what to make of it they went to see what was going on. They found Alex with a toolbox trying to fix the door knob of their bedroom. Both women looked at each other.

“Do you suppose this means something?”

“Well, she sees you fixing things around the house all the time. So, for now, let's just think of it as being determined.”

“What are you doing little one?”

“I'm fitxing the door. Itz boken. I want to zleep with you because of the fire.”

The women looked at each other and Karen rolled her eyes when Addy gave her a menacing look.

“You and your safety ideas! Let me handle this, would you?”

“Alex, there's not going to be a fire, and little children are not supposed to sleep with adults.” Addy explained.

“Why?”

“Oh, there are so many reasons…let me see…”

Karen crossed her arms and waited. “Can't wait to hear this one!”

She got another look from Addy. “Come on let's go downstairs and talk, Alex.” Karen went down behind them. She sat on the sofa and pretended to browse her tablet.

“Well, let's see, reasons for which children can't sleep with adults….Oh! Here's one reason….children may be crushed in bed by the bigger adults. What if you were in bed with me and I rolled over like this…” Addy demonstrated “and crushed you? You wouldn't like to be crushed, would you?” Alex's eyes grew large and nodded in the negative.

Karen chuckled. Oh sure that's much better than if there is a fire! At least with the fire I was able to explain safety rules! And at least she knows what to do now!

“Another reason is that adults may be sick or they may not smell good.”

“But you zmell good. I like the way you zmell and Mommy Karen likes it too. Are you zick M'Addy?”

Addy looked at a very smiling Karen who sat across from her, still pretending to read and trying very hard to contain her laughter. Addy smirked. Apparently, Miss know-it-all, Addy, was having difficulty in the child psychology department as well.

“I have an idea, for you to come into our bedroom in the mornings. But we need to make a deal.”

Karen looked up with an expectant astonished look practically holding her breath. Now what?

“I think this will solve all your problems, so that you won't have to knock on the door anymore and know exactly when you can come in.”

Karen was sure that this smelled like disaster.

“We will call you in the morning to let you know that it's okay to come to bed with us, how's that?”

“Okay.” Alex smiled.

Karen was stunt. That's it?

“But you have to wait for us to call you, okay?”

The next day they found Alex sleeping on the floor in front of their door. It broke their heart. “Baby, what are you doing here on the floor?” Karen asked.

“I waz waiting for you to call me.”

Karen picked her up and brought her to bed with them. “Awwww! Sweetie, you have to wait in your bed! The floor is hard and it will be cold in the winter, plus what if I'm coming out of the bedroom and don't see you and I step on you?”

That was it, Addy was sure that Alex would have psychological problems someday. She would either have fear of fire, of being crushed in bed, and now also of being stepped on! Poor kid!

To solve the problem they agreed that the safest thing to do was that Alex would stay in bed and that she would call them through the baby monitor which would be on for her to call.

The next morning a little voice was heard through the intercom. “M'Addy, can I come to zleep wiz you?” Both women scrambled for clothes. They knew Alex would be there in two seconds.

**

At age three, Alex continued to display her inquisitive nature. “Why do I have two mommiez and no daddy?”

Karen nearly choked on her coffee. Big green eyes looked across the kitchen to Addy with an anguish look. Addy smiled lovingly at the green eyes.

“C'mere little one. Let's go out to the patio, and I will tell you all about that.”

Karen had a very amused look now. Alex ran outside skipping and jumping. Addy passed by Karen and raising her brows said “Don't tell me you didn't see that one coming?” Karen pursed her lips. Addy rolled her eyes.

Addy met Alex on the patio. “Sit over here with me.” Alex came running and climbed on Addy's lap. She immediately cuddled to her mom. Karen, who was still amused by the question and couldn't wait to hear what Addy had to say, followed them outside and sat on the patio to drink her coffee and pretended that she was reading the paper. This was a recurrent happening since Addy appeared to be the one who had all the answers. As ridiculous as they were sometimes, it always amazed Karen, how Alex believed them all.

“Well Little Bit, this is how it happened. When God in heaven was handing out little babies to mommies and daddies, he saw you and saw how beautiful you were, so he didn't want to give you to anyone right away because he thought you were the most beautiful baby ever and he wanted to look at you as much as he could.” Alex was smiling, very pleased with herself.

Karen chuckled, fascinated watching them. Alex adored Addy. She studied her every move. There had been countless times when Karen had seen Alex watching her and do and say things just like Addy would. Karen loved the thought that Alex would grow up to be like Addy.

The story, however, continued. “All of a sudden God realized that he had run out of daddies and that there were just two mommies left. So he was wondering what to do. So, Mommy Karen and I talked to God and we asked Him to give you to us. God looked at us and he said, but she will have no daddy!”

Then we said. “Yes, but she'll have two mommies and we will love her a lot. We will love her so much that she will not need a daddy. And we promised that we would love you very much always.” Alex was mesmerized with the story. “Now you tell me, isn't that true? Don't we love you a lot?”

Alex nodded. Her huge green eyes were wide open.

Karen was mesmerized as well. Karen was convinced that Addy had a gift for storytelling. How she could come up with all this stories in fractions of seconds was astonishing. She was also convinced that Alex would believe anything Addy said. It was not just the story, but the very convincing way in which Addy told it. It was her authoritative tone, her demeanor, her pleasing ways and how she sometimes made Alex part of the story that made the story most believable, or at least one that you would want to believe as true.

“God was very happy to know that we were going to love you so much, you being so beautiful and all! So he said, ‘but if I put this baby in one of your bellies to grow, which one will it be?' This was when Mommy Karen volunteered her belly.” Karen nearly choked at the comment.

“Are you Okay, Mommy Karen?” Addy said grinning from ear to ear. Karen waved with her hand and nodded unable to speak from the possible laughter that would come with any spoken words.

“So, then God asked me, what would I be doing since you were going to be in Mommy Karen's belly. So, I promise God that I would take care of the two of you forever and love you very much with all my heart. God was really happy with my answer, and he immediately agreed to give you to us. And that's how it happened. So, aren't you glad you have the two of us? Or….” She started tickling Alex. “Do I hear some kind of complaint….you…. little brat?!” Alex was laughing so hard she slipped out of Addy's lap onto the grass, then she ran out to the swing set and started to swing.

Addy got up from her seat, and walked up behind Karen and kissed her on the neck. She went around her to the front and opened her arms as if presenting herself and said “..and that ma'am is how it is done.” She then took a bow. Karen grinned from ear to ear.

“She'll grow up…one day it won't be so easy, you know….?”

“Yeah, but I believe, Ms. Larsen, that I shall be able to come up with as good stories as the years pass, and ultimately, when the stories are no longer believable, the truth will set me free and love will conquer all!” Addy had a smug grin on her face. Karen smiled as well. “It's you turn to play with her. I'm going inside to make us some sandwiches.” Karen got up kissed Addy and went to the swing set to play. Addy watched with pleasure the mother/daughter interaction from the kitchen window.

**

All of Alex's questions were for Addy. With the years, Alex came to realize that Karen always redirected any questions to Addy. So, by now she knew who was the one with all the answers. “M'Addy, why iz my hair and my eyez like Mommy Karen's? Why iz my hair and my eyez not like yourz?”

Oh shit! Karen thought, as she heard the question as she was coming up the stairs into Alex's bedroom. She froze outside in the hallway. Alex was still too young to tell her the whole story of her conception. The woman had agreed that come the day when she could understand they would tell her because the truth was always best. They needed Alex to be older, because she needed to understand that although Addy was not biologically connected to her, she was in fact the reason and promoter of her existence. Right now it was too soon still, so the best thing to do was to come up with another story.

The question came up one of the night when it was Addy's turn to read Alex a story. Every night the two of them took turns to read to their daughter. Karen was convinced that she preferred Addy's stories. The reason was that Addy didn't always read the story as they were actually written. Addy liked to distort the stories and make them funny, or she created some mystery about the situation going on in the story. Alex would laugh her heart out or be absolutely intrigued and in total expectation of the unknown outcome. Sometimes the laughter was such that Alex would pretend to fall of her mattress laughing, which had always remained on the floor after that infamous jump from the crib, and Addy would shed tears laughing at her own absurd situations, which in turn would make Alex laugh even more and beg for more stories.

She, for example changed Cinderella's story and made the slipper into sneakers and with Snow White, she changed the story to make it sound as if Snow White thought that the prince was one of the dwarfs and that her real name was Snow Brown, but she changed it because it didn't make sense to have brown snow, and all sorts of silly things like that which Alex absolutely adored.

Karen had been on the way to kiss Alex good night, but decided to stay outside and listen to Addy's reply to the hair color question.

“Well, let me see if I can remember…it's been a while, you know…you are already three….” She was trying to come up with something. Karen thought that if she interrupted, Addy would be saved by the bell, but when she was resolved to make an entrance she heard Addy speak and stopped. She remained outside the door to listen. She loved to hear the things Addy came up with.

“Well, when God put you in Mommy Karen's belly, you were really beautiful, but you know how babies don't have hair when they are very little? Well, you didn't have a single hair on you head.”

“Not even one hair?” Alex's eyes were huge showing her disbelief.

“Not even one!”

Alex touched her hair to make sure that it was still there.

“Also, when we first saw you, you were sleeping and we never got to see the color of your eyes. Not that we cared….we wanted you sooooo much, we would have taken you even if your eyes were pink!” Addy laughed and Alex hugged her and laughed too.

“So, later one night when you were still in Mommy Karen's belly, I had a beautiful dream. In the dream an angel from heaven came to see me and he asked me how I wanted you to look like. So, I said to the angel ‘can she have Mommy Karen's hair color and her eyes too? Can she look like Mommy Karen?' The angel smiled and asked me ‘why do you want your baby to look like Mommy Karen and not like you? You are very pretty too.” Karen smiled outside the door. “I said to the angel ‘because I love Mommy Karen so much, I would like our baby to look just like her so that I can love her just as much and have two of her to love.' The angel smiled and told me that I was going to have my wish come true because my wish was full of love and love is the most important thing in heaven and earth.”

Karen closed her eyes and smiled. Only Addy could come up with something so endearing. “Zo, what did the angel give me from you?” Alex asked. Shit this is not getting any easier. Karen froze outside the door. Would Addy have an answer for this one too? She was ready to make an entry and intervene to save Addy, but somehow she had so much faith in Addy's ability to come up with wonderful answers that even she wanted to know what Addy would say.

“Well, Mommy Karen told me that she also had a dream about this angel. Apparently, the angel asked her the same thing. So, you know how Mommy Karen loves me and she's all crazy about me, right?” Alex nodded her head up and down. “Yeah, she lovez you a lot.” Addy thought this statement was hilarious because it seemed like Alex was just breaking the news to her.

Outside the door, Karen thought, ‘ more than you can ever imagine little one!' She grinned out on the hallway. Addy was also smiling at this breaking news. “Yes, she does love me a lot, I love her too, you know… anyways, you know what? I think you should ask Mommy Karen what she asked the angel for tomorrow when she reads you your story. How's that? Tonight…we go to sleep! Good night little one!” She kissed her and tucked her in.

Karen was waiting outside. When Addy stepped out of Alex's bedroom, she was surprised to find Karen standing nonchalantly outside. “An angel, huh?” Addy smiled and pulled her gently towards their bedroom, closing the door behind her. “Start working on what you are going to tell her tomorrow. You have a whole day to think about it. Just what did you ask the angel for?”

“Addy, why do you do this to me? Couldn't you have just come up with something….you are so much better at this than I am!”

“Well, you have until tomorrow to come up with something. Think! Just imagine if it had been true. What would you have asked the angel for?” Addy went into the bathroom, leaving a very pensive Karen in bed.

**

Sure enough, the next night, the question came up. Alex was relentless and thorough. When she wanted to know something she persevered until she got all her answers. She explained to Karen what had transpired the night before, as if Karen didn't know and then she asked her question. This time it was Addy who was outside in the hallway. “Well, since the angel said that he promised Mommy Addy that you would look like me, I asked the angel to make you be like her.”

Addy was listening outside curious to see how Karen was going to handle the ‘angel' question.

Alex was relentless. “How?”

“That's exactly what the angel asked me. So I said, I love everything about Mommy Addy, the way she's always joking and smiling and is always so happy, I want my little girl to be just like her so that I can have two of them to love.”

Alex opened her eyes big and said “That'z what Mommy Addy said too!”

Addy thought, my creative Karen!

“Well, that explains why the angel was so happy.”

“Mommy, am I happy and funny like Mommy Addy?”

“Oh, yeah, I think you are just like Mommy Addy. I think the angel granted my wish. You came true, and you are as sweet and adorable as she is. I also think that every day you are more and more like her.”

Alex turned around and put her little arms around Karen's neck. “I wove you, Mommy. I wove Mommy Addy too. Do you wove her too?”

Karen combed Alex's hair back. “Little one, I love you and Mommy Addy with all my heart. The two of you are the most important people in my life.” Alex was smiling. Karen began to tickle her. And Alex was squirming and laughing. “To sleep now!” She tucked her in and kissed her “Good night, baby girl!”

“Good night, Mommy.”

Addy had already gone to their bedroom when Karen came out of Alex's room. Karen felt an enormous pleasure as she left Alex's room, a feeling of indescribable peace and contentment. And then when she opened the door to her bedroom, there she was the one person responsible for it all.

Karen smiled. Addy was lying in bed waiting for her. She grinned when she saw the look of happiness on Karen's face. “You handled that very well, Ms. Larsen. I can recognize greatness when I see it, and I bow to your wisdom. You have come a long way in mastering child psychology.”

“I can also recognize greatness, Ms. Marcos and I hope she's all naked under there because I need to release some stress!”

“Hum, I don't know…what would the angel have said about that?”

“Well, that is very easy to answer. Isn't love the most important thing on heaven and earth?”

Addy grinned, so did Karen when she found a very naked Addy under the covers.

“Umm, I'm going to have to put in a commendation for that angel. He grants the best wishes.”

**

With the years it became evident that Karen's wish for the angel had come true. Although, Alex looked exactly like Karen, she was Addy in character and personality. She was even trying to learn to wink like Addy. She loved it when her mom winked at her. When the little green eyes tried to wink, it was the cutest, most adorable thing on earth. She tried, but there was no way she could control the other eye so she'd end up winking with both eyes. She used the wink a lot on Karen because she knew how much Karen liked it when Addy winked. What Alex didn't realize was that although her wink was cute, Addy's wink on Karen had a totally different meaning and effect than hers. However, even though Alex closed both eyes when she winked, they loved to see her do it.

Addy would ask. “Alex, can you wink for Mommy Karen?”

Alex immediately did what she thought was a wink and closed both eyes and opened them real quick. They both loved to see her and laughed endlessly to the little one's delight. It would be years before she got the wink right, but she did get it right. Addy also taught her to use it mercilessly to her advantage. As JP predicted, Alex became quite a heartbreaker.

**

Alex was Karen's mini-me. It was a lovely sight to see mother and daughter together. To Addy they looked equally adorable. She could watch them for hours.

Alex was a lightning bolt, full of energy. Her hair was shoulder length and later they cut it into a “page cut” to keep it manageable. Her bangs came right over her eyebrows just to fall above gorgeous green eyes and long dark eyelashes. She was always a beautiful child. She was the right weight and size for her age. She had an adorable smile, like Mommy Karen, and cute little teeth. She was very articulate for her young age, a fact maybe attributed to being raised as an only child by two highly educated women who had a lot to say just about any and everything. She also had the cutest voice. Alex was always on the move and always getting herself in some kind of trouble. When she played outside, she'd be all sweaty and messy, this was one of the reasons why her hair could not be too long. It would get all dirty and tangle and then she'd cry at bath time when they tried to untangle it. Addy bought all sorts of detanglers, but they were useless. Only keeping it to a certain length helped.

“Come on little one…time for a bath. You are all stinky.”

“Mommy Addy likez my zmell. She told me!”

“Not when you are all sweaty and grimy!”

“Yez, zhe doez! She likez me a lot all the time.”

“Okay, but you still need a bath. Come on, I've got the tub ready for you.”

“Can I have bubbles, Mommy?

“Sure. Let me find the bubble soap.” The bubble soap had remained out of Alex's reach since the bubble incident. Karen reminisced, as she looked for the bubble soap.

Alex always had enjoyed getting in the hot tub with her moms. She loved how it made so many bubbles. She was never allowed in that room alone, though. They knew it was dangerous for Alex to be in there by herself. The hot tub had seats, but it was deep and the water was always too hot for her. The door to the hot tub room always remained locked with a latch at the top.

Whenever the little one was going to be in the hot tub with them, they'd lowered the temperature of the water for her and allow time for the water to cool. One time, however, they forgot to lock the door. Alex saw it open ran upstairs to her bathtub and grabbed the bubble soap. She thought that the hot tub had bubbles because of the bubble soap since this was how the mommies made bubbles in her tub. So, she came back downstairs and not knowing how much to pour, she poured the entire bottle in the hot tub and turned it on. At that very moment, she got scared because she heard the mommies coming and she knew she wasn't supposed to be there. So she ran out of the room and closed the door behind her. She came out to the rec room and resumed her playing, feeling safe again. The problem was that she didn't stop the hot tub when she left the room.

“Ker, I kind of hear a sound do you?”

Karen was reading but raised her head. “Yeah, now that you mention it, it's like a low humming sound. What could it be?”

“Don't know but I'm going to check around.”

“Okay.”

Addy stood up and thought she would head upstairs to check but as she approached the kitchen she saw it. Soap suds were coming in from under the hot tub room door into the kitchen.

“Keeeeerrrr!”

Karen came running. “What? What is?”

Addy pointed to the kitchen floor.

“….oh my God! What in the name of heaven….?”

Alex came running too. Her eyes were huge when she saw all the bubbles. Addy looked at Alex. Judging by Alex's face, the perpetrator of the crime had already revealed herself in the bubble soap case! However, tackling the situation was more important at the moment than catching the perpetrator.

When Karen opened the door to the hot tub room, all the bubbles rushed into the kitchen and everyone found themselves surrounded by bubbles. The hot tub room was filled with bubbles and now they were all over the kitchen as well. Endless amounts of bubbles.

“How could this have happened? Karen asked in astonishment.

“We need to stop the hot tub!” Karen was walking into the room.

“Be careful babe, it could be slippery.”

Karen knew where the switch was and reached it. She walked slowly and carefully.

She came back out with bubbles from head to toe. “How did this happen? Who turned on the tub?”

Addy put her hand over her mouth to stop her from laughing at Karen who looked like the Pillsbury doughboy. Alex's face was one of total disbelief and awe.

“I have no idea, babe. Wait a second!” They both looked at each other.

Alex was nowhere to be seen. Karen went to the staircase and called her. “Alexandra Marcos Larsen!!! Come over here right now!”

Karen looked mad. “Ker, she didn't know what she was doing.” Addy was always defending her. Karen was very serious and still trying to calm herself.

Alex knew from past experiences that when the moms called her full name she was in trouble, but when they called her using her full name and two last names, she knew she was in deep trouble. She came down quiet and with a very somber look. She knew the bubbles were the problem, but she didn't know why there were so many of them. After all the hot tub always had bubbles!

“What do you know about all these bubbles young lady?” Karen asked sternly.

She still remained quiet, probably thinking what to say to be in the least trouble.

“I put bubbles in the little pool.” She called the hot tub the little pool.

“You know that you are not allowed in there alone.” Karen continued to scold her.

“The door waz open and I thought we were going in the little pool and I got the soap and made bubbles for us.”

Addy put her hand on her forehead. How could she explain to Alex that the hot tub didn't need bubble soap to make bubbles? She'd do it later.

Karen was furious. “Look at all these!!! I don't even know where to start to clean up!”

Karen gave the order. “Missy, you go on to your room right now and stay there! Is that clear?” “I'm zorry, Mommy.” She looked scared and started to pout and cry, as she looked at both women. Addy had remained quiet pursing her lips.

“Aaww, come here baby.” Addy hugged her.

Karen rolled her eyes. “There is no discipline in this house! That is why we find ourselves in these situations!”

“I wanted bubbles.” She pouted, as the humongous tears ran down her cheeks.

“Alex, we don't put bubble soap in the little pool. Ever. The little pool makes its own bubbles. You couldn't have known this. I know.” Addy looked at Karen to try to make her understand as well. “The real problem that I see here is that you should not have been in that room by yourself. We have talked about this and you know that little girls should not be alone near any pool. You know this and still you went in there. So that is why I'm worried. Now go to your room for a little bit and we'll talk more about this later. I have to help Mommy Karen clean up. Okay?” Addy hugged and kissed her, and Alex went upstairs feeling a little better, but concerned because Mommy Karen still looked very mad. As she went up, she kept looking at Karen.

Karen was cleaning up like a mad woman. Addy joined her. It was an impossible task. There were bubbles everywhere. They were hard to pick up or even contain. Karen got madder by the minute. She had already managed to clean the bubbles from the kitchen floor. All of a sudden, Addy was having a very difficult time containing her grin. She came over and took the mop from Karen in an attempt to stop her. Karen was frantic cleaning the bubbles.

“Ker?”

“What?! What is so funny?”

“Look at me.” Karen did.

“Let's go to bed. Let the bubbles come down by themselves and we'll call the pool people tomorrow and they can come and clean up. We are going to have to empty it out anyways and have all the jets cleaned or it will continue to bubble up. Come on! Come with me. I'll fix you a bath so that you can relax, a bubble bath.” Addy chuckled and Karen grinned and then laughed. “As if we need more bubbles!! I don't think there's a bit of bubble soap left in this house!”

“One day we'll remember this and laugh. Be thankful that you'll have memories to cherish in your old age. Come on gorgeous, give it a rest. If you can't beat them, you have to join them!”

“That little devil!” Karen was still grumbling, but Addy had made her smile.

“She's something isn't she?” Addy slapped Karen on her butt. “Go on. Go talk to your beautiful little devil and explain to her in that rational way of yours why the tub doesn't need soap. But don't scold her. She didn't know what she was doing. Teach her! And love her!” Karen smiled and Addy patted her buttocks again. “Umm, nice!” Karen went up nodding and grinning.

Karen went into Alex's room. “Young lady, we need to have a talk.”

“Mommy Karen, are you mad? Remember you zaid you love me a lot!”

When she entered Alex's room, Karen took a big breath and smiled. Addy could hear them talk. “Yes, fortunately for you, I do love you a lot, but we have to talk about the little pool and little girls and bubble soap.”

That's all Addy heard as she went into her bedroom laughing. “I have a room full of bubbles!”